Strike in Montreal

The union representing longshoremen at the Port of Montreal launched a three-day strike on Monday, affecting two major terminals.

The Maritime Employers Association (MEA) confirmed that the strike began at 7 a.m. ET on Monday at the Viau and Maisonneuve Termont terminals, with the action expected to continue until Thursday morning.

The Port of Montreal confirmed on X that the two Termont-operated terminals are currently closed. “Access to these terminals is prohibited, and no rail, ship or truck services are provided. All other Port of Montreal terminals remain in service. We express our disappointment that no agreement has been reached between the MEA and the Longshoremen’s Union to avoid a work stoppage and we continue to hope that the parties will reach an agreement as soon as possible. This situation deprives companies in Quebec and Canada of some 40% of container handling capacity on the St. Lawrence at a crucial time when both import and export holiday cargo must transit through the Port of Montreal,” the port added.

The local union, part of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), announced that around 350 members would be involved in the strike. The workers are part of CUPE Local 375.

As WorldCargo News previously reported, last week Montreal’s longshore workers had voted to issue a strike notice as their union entered mediation, aiming to secure a new contract.

The strike vote took place on 24 September, following CUPE Local 375’s rejection of the latest offer from the MEA. After the vote, the union filed a 72-hour strike notice on Friday, stating that members working at the Viau and Maisonneuve terminals would strike from 7 a.m. on Monday until 6:59 a.m. on Thursday.

The union indicated it was willing to call off the strike if certain conditions were met. However, by Sunday evening, they confirmed in a statement that no agreement had been reached over the weekend.

Montreal’s longshore workers have been without a collective agreement since 31 December 2023. Negotiations for a new deal started in September 2023, including a 60-day conciliation period followed by mediation.

The two terminals involved account for 41% of container traffic through the Port of Montreal.

Termont handles over 500,000 TEU of containerised cargo annually at the Maisonneuve Terminal. The Viau Terminal has been operated by Termont since 2016 and can handle nearly 600,000 TEU annually.

This strike is unrelated to a looming threat of industrial action at ports on the US East and Gulf coasts, where a separate strike could begin as soon as Tuesday.